Republicans 'appalled' by Magic Negro CD

Washington, Dec 28 (ANI): Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan issued a statement distancing the party's leadership from one of the GOP's best-known operatives, Chip Saltsman, who distributed a CD containing "Barack the Magic Negro" as part of his campaign to be elected chairman of the Republican National Committee next month.

Duncan, who has served the campaigns of five presidents dating back to Richard Nixon, is seeking reelection as the party's 60th chairman in a hotly contested race that includes Saltsman and several other viable candidates, Politico.com reported.

Saltsman, 40, was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's campaign manager during the Republican presidential primaries.

Saltsman sent Republican National Committee members, who will choose the next chairman, a CD by conservative political satirist Paul Shanklin, "We HATE the USA." It contains the controversial track, which was popular on conservative radio. Shanklin's Web site promises, "Absolutely the best parodies in talk radio."

Duncan's statement, in full: "The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party. I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."

Saltsman's candidacy for national party chair is endorsed by Huckabee and fellow Tennessean Bill Frist, the former Senate majority leader.

Saltsman defended his song selection to The Hill's Reid Wilson, who first reported the gift, the website reported.

"Paul Shanklin is a longtime friend, and I think that RNC members have the good humor and good sense to recognize that his songs for the Rush Limbaugh show are light-hearted political parodies," Saltsman told The Hill.

Saltsman said in a statement later Saturday that the title was a reference to an opinion article in the Los Angeles Times in March 2007 with the headline, "Obama the 'Magic Negro," which argued that "The Illinois senator lends himself to white America's idealized, less-than-real black man." (ANI)